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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — music
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rash — a series
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. tube — a container
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cell — in biology
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com